Packer head concrete pipe machine



Nov. 21,, 1950 w. B. DIXON 2,530,687

PACKER HEAD CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE Filed July 29, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 57 Fig.

INVEN TOR. William Bryan Dixon W. B. DIXON PACKER HEAD CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE Nov. 21, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29, 1946 Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKER HEAD CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE William Bryan Dixon, Houston, Tex.

Application July 29, 1946, Serial No. 686,901

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a packer head concrete pipe machine.

One object of the invention is to provide a concrete pipe making machine of the packer head type that will form a section of pipe out of semidry mixed concrete quickly and easily with a minimum of loss in malformed pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete pipe machine of the character described having a novel turntable mounted in a novel manner on one leg of the framework, greatly facilitating the handling of jackets in which the pipe is formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having a novel means for controlling the longitudinal movement of the packer screw. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having an automatic means for disengaging the bell former upon completion of the formation of a length of pipe, permitting the operator to move the turntable supporting the jackets moving the formed pipe out of the machine and the empty jacket into position with a minimum of effort.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described having a material hopper of novel construction and that may be readily locked to the jacket in which the pipe is formed during the pipe making operation and may be quickly and easily released after the section of pipe has been formed.

The above and other objects will be apparent from the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the pipe making machine.

Figure 2 is a side view of the material hopper and controls therefor taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the turntable taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a bottom cross sectional view of the bell former taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numerals I, 2 designate the front legs of the framework constructed preferably of channel iron. The rear legs, 3, are preferably constructed of angle iron and are tapered inwardly at a point approximately midway of the length thereof and have the motor platform legs 4 bolted or riveted thereto. A suitable brace 5, formed of steel, connects the motor platform 5 and the front and rear legs.

A packer shaft, or. screw 1, is mounted between the front legs and has the upper portion thereof threaded, preferably with acme threads, and a keyway 8 is formed longitudinally in the packer shaft I the full length of the threaded portion. A suitable motor 9 is mounted on the motor platform 6 and is adapted to impart rotation to the pulley l through the pulley II. The pulley I0 is mounted on the shaft l2 which is in turn mounted on suitable bearings as l3, on the motor platform. A clutch I4 releasably connects the pulley ID with the shaft l mounted in the bearings [6. On the opposing end-of the shaft I5 is a suitable bevel gear I! in mesh with and adapted to rotate the bevel gear 3. The gear I8 is connected to the packer shaft 1 by a suitable key (not shown) which rides in the keyway 8 of the packer shaft 1, permitting the shaft 1 to pass freely longitudinally through the gearv l8. A clutch control rod [9 is fulcrumed at and has the control handle 2| convenient to the hand of the operator. A pair of internally threaded split nuts 22, 22 are mounted on the framework immediately beneath the motor platform and embrace the packer shaft 7. A pair of adjustable lower ends of said control bars 24, 24 and a lever 28 mounted on said cross bar 2! permits the split nuts to be opened and closed. The adjustable arms 23, 23 may be so adjusted that when the split nuts are moved to closed position around the packer shaft, the connecting point of the adjustable arms 23, extension bars and control levers 24 will move below level, locking the split nuts 22, 22 in position around the packer shaft.

A counterbalance 29 is connected to a swivel 30 which is mounted on the upper end of the packer shaft 1.

A trowel 3| is fixedly mounted on the lower end of the shaft 1, and a piston 32 is mounted on the shaft 1 approximately midway of the ends thereof. A cross bar 33 between the front legs I, 2, supports a stop 34 against which the piston 32 abuts, limiting the downward movement of the shaft 1.

A material tray 35' is mounted within the framework formed by the legs and tapers slightly downwardly from the rear legs to the front legs and is open between the front legs to permit the m terial 139 be moved. out of the tray. A material hopper 35 is mounted on the cross bar 36 by means of the connecting bars 3 38. Controlling levers 39, 40 are fulcrumed to the cross bar 39 by means of the link 38. A counterbalance ll is also connected to the cross bar 36. A stop 42 is mounted on the leg 2 to limit the movement of the control 39 when the material hopper is lowered. The movement of the control 39 past center against the stop 42 will lock the material hopper in position. The movement of the control lever 39 raises or lowers the hopper 35. A depending lip 43 extends downwardly from the hopper 35 and is shaped to fit snugly over the top. of a jacket.

The base of the legs of the. machine are set preferably in concrete. A turntable M is rotatably mounted on one leg, 5, of the machine, adjacent the base thereof, and has a pair of jacket receiving plates 95, 45 mounted on the turntable. Upstanding arms 46, 46 permit the turntable to be rotated by the operator. Upstanding lugs 41, 4! in the plates 45, 45 receive notches (not shown) in the jackets 48', 33. Ports 4-9, 49- in the plates 45, 15 permit a bell former 50 to pass up through the plates to form the bell of the pipe section in the jacket. The turntable has each end thereof notched as at 5! and a spring latch 52 of any suitable construction, is mounted. on the opposing leg 2 of the framework to yieldably lock the turntable in operating position.

The legs of the machine are mounted in concrete and beneath the machine a well is provided as 53', a portion of the machine extending beneath the surface of the floor 54 of the building or shop in'which the machine is located, and the turntable is located a few inches above the floor surface as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.

A bell former an is mounted on the shaft 55 which extends beneath the surface 54 and an axial alignment with the packer shaft 1 A bevel gear 56, keyed on said shaft by means of the key 5! mounted in the keyway 53' has a suitable bushing as 84', formed of brass or similar material which may be employed to prevent wear of. thegear. A tail pipe 59 isanchored to the bottom of the well and receives the end of the shaft 55. A zerk fitting Gilfor introducing grease or'lubricant into the tail pipe may be provided. A shaft 6|; mounted on suitable bearings as 92, 82 has the bevel gear 83" on one end thereof in mesh with the gear 56. A pulley 64 mounted on the opposing end of said shaft is rotated by the motor 65 which is mounted on the cross plate 66 fixedly secured to the legs' l, I. A pulley 6-? is in rotatingv connection with the pulley mounted on and adapted to rotate the shaft 623. The. shaft 69 is' mounted on the legsd, l by means of suitable bearings iii, and a pulley H is mounted: adjacent one end. of said shaft. A belt 12 connects said pulley ll with the pulley 94'. A clutch l3, controlled. bythe clutch bar M and clutch lever moves the shaft '59- into and out of rotation with the said pulley 6?.

A. yoke 14 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 55' beneath the bell former. A connecting arm 15, fulcrumed' adjacent said yoke, extends therefrom to the rear of the well A counterbalance 8-9 is mounted on and adjacent to the far side of the connecting arm 15". A connecting arm 16 extends upwardly and is releasably connected: with a lever 17 which is fulcrumed toa cross bar' on the legt. The free end of the lever I1- is pivotally' connected to. the arm 78 Which is connected to the crossarm 19. A yoke v another section of pipe.

80 mounted on the cross arm 19, embraces the packer shaft 1 and is adjustably mounted at one end on the extension 8 I.

A door is provided in the material hopper with suitable locking means 86, for cleaning the hopper tray.

In making concrete pipe, the semidry mate rial is deposited on the material tray 35. The jackets 4B, 48 are mounted on the turntable 94 and one of the jackets moved into position in axial alignment with the packer shaft. The hopper 35 is lowered onto the jacket and locked in position thereon, the lip 43 fitting snugly over the top of the jacket. The lever 28 is moved to open the split nuts 22, 22 and the packer shaft will drop into lowered position, the counterbalance 29 providing sufficient counter-balance to provide a. smooth and gentle lowering of the packer shaft. The lower end of the packer shaft on which the trowel 3| is mounted enters the jacket 48 on the turntable, and the lower end of the trowel, commonly referred to as the core, enters the top of the bell former. As the packer shaft is lowered, the piston 32 disengages the yoke 82 and the counterbalance 83 will lower the arm l5 raising the bell former up through the turntable and into operating position within the jacket. When the piston 32 reaches the stop 34 the further downward movement of the shaft 7' will be blocked. The operator draws some of the material from the hopper into the jacket and moves the clutch levers 2| and 15 into operating position. The trowel 3| will distribute the material around the jacket wall and the bell former will pack the material in the lower end of the jacket forming the bell of the section of pipe. The bell former need operate only a few seconds and the operator disengages the clutch I3 which stops the bell former. The operator then moves the split nuts 22, 22 into closed position by means of the lever 28, causing the packer shaft to move upwardly through the split nuts 22, 22 while turning the trowel 3! as it moves the trowel upwardly, thus distributing the concrete evenly around the walls of the jacket and the core of the trowel packing same tightly therein, forming the pipe. As the packer screw reaches the extent of its upward movement, the piston 32 will abut against the yoke 89 and move the bell former 59 downwardly out of engagement with the jacket 48. As the trowel comes up through the material hopper, the operator disengages the clutch I 4, and manually moves the hopper 35 upwardly through the lever 39, and turns the turntable a half revolution, moving the filled jacket out of position and the empty jacket into position beneath the packer shaft. A cart 82 may be employed to move the full jacket out of the way and an empty jacket in its place on the turntable, while the operator is forming When the empty jacket is in position, the split nuts are again opened and the packer shaft lowered into position and the process repeated.

The embodiments of the invention herein I shown and described are to be regarded as illustrative only, and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:-

In a concrete pipe making machine, an upstanding framework, a rotatable shaft mounted longitudinally therein, the upper portion of said shaft being threaded, an abutment on said shaft adjacent the lower termination of said threads,

'tion, a train of lever connections secured to the other end of said fulcrumed lever in connection with the bell packer and adapted to move the bell packer out of engagement with the pipe to be formed upon extreme upward movement of the shaft and to move said bell packer into engagement with the pipe to be formed upon downward movement of the said shaft.

WILLIAM BRYAN DIXON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 981,051 Besser Jan. 10, 1911 998,637 Richmond et al. July 25, 1911 1,037,189 Allen Sept. 3, 1912 1,047,419 Laage Dec. 17, 1912 1,159,515 McCracken Nov. 9, 1915 1,510,220 Hefier Sept. 30, 1924 1,596,203 Martin Aug. 17, 1926 1,895,740 Ukropina Jan. 31, 1933 1,899,115 Schultz Feb. 28, 1933 1,921,237 McDonough et al. Aug. 8, 1933 2,178,015 Brunetti Oct. 31, 1939 

